When I got my first Power-Pole, I thought of it as a sight fishing tool. I’d use it during the spawn and then never look at it again until the next year’s spawn. That’s all changed over the last few seasons. My Power-Pole is now a regular part of my equipment, something I use 12 months a year. I would no more fish without it than I would fish without my electronics.
I first realized how versatile a piece of equipment it can be when I was fishing a river tournament under some really tough conditions several years ago. My fish were positioned on a shallow flat and were relating to isolated stalks of grass. The problem was that the water was dingy; I couldn’t see the grass. The only way I knew it was there was when I caught a fish or snagged it with my lure. And, if you got too close to it, the bass scattered.
After a lot of thought, and some frustration, it occurred to me that I could use my Power-Pole to hold my position after I found the grass. All it takes to put it down or pull it up is the push of a button. The more I did that the better it worked. After a while I could drop it, make a few casts, bring it up and move on in just a couple of minutes. This piece of equipment isn’t just for bed fishing. It’s a shallow water anchoring system that has dozens of uses.
It’ll hold your boat in place when you’re flipping and pitching a laydown tree. With the push of a button you can stop your boat in the exact position you want. That’s a big deal. Getting just the right distance and just the right angle on your presentation can mean the difference between cashing a check and going home empty-handed.
They’re also great for mat fishing. When you don’t have to worry about where your boat is drifting, you can concentrate on covering every inch of the mat with precise, well-placed presentations.
The reason I’m talking about this topic today is because I think too many anglers think of a Power-Pole as a bedding bass tool. They figure if they don’t fish much for bedding bass it isn’t worth the cost. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a tool you can’t afford to be without.
While I’m on the subject of Power-Pole fishing I want to let you in on their “Fish with Ike” sweepstakes. Go to their site — www.power-pole.com — and sign up. There’s no purchase necessary. It won’t cost you a penny. If you win, you’ll get an all-expenses paid trip to Lake Fork on October 20 of this year to fish with me for a day.
If you know anything about bass fishing in this country, you know that’s the time of the year when Fork’s on fire. I can’t guarantee you a ton of big bass but I can guarantee you my best efforts, and one heck of a good time.
